


The Arc of Ascension, Edda 11: D.va, the Stainless, the Steel-Eyed

by bzarcher, solarbird



Series: Of Gods and Monsters [43]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Lesbian Character, East China Sea Omnium, F/F, F/M, Fear, Gen, Korea (Overwatch), Lesbian Character, Long-Distance Relationship, Love, Manoeuvring, Mechanisations, Multi, Oasis (Overwatch), Other, Persuasion - Freeform, Politics, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Sacrifice, Self-Sacrifice, Talon Angela "Mercy" Ziegler, Talon Fareeha "Pharah" Amari, Talon Lena "Tracer" Oxton, Trans Female Character, Trans Sombra (Overwatch), Truth, omnium
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-14 19:50:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15396123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bzarcher/pseuds/bzarcher, https://archiveofourown.org/users/solarbird/pseuds/solarbird
Summary: The new gods have risen, ready to grapple with a world of heroes. Moira O'Deorain herself has been reborn, now made one of the creations her previous self meant to rule, and she works with her wife - the goddess Mercy - and their ensemble of new deities to remake the world, toimproveit... for everyone.Korea hangs on the precipice of destruction, waiting for the next attack of the Giant Omnics created by the omnium in the China Sea. MEKA Lieutenant Hana Song, formerly of the reborn Overwatch, stands as one of their best and brightest hopes for a future free of fear. But when an old friend comes with an unbelievable offer, she has to ask herself how far she is willing to go, and who she is willing to trust.Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Ascensionis a continuance ofOf Gods and Monsters: The Arc of CreationandThe Armourer and the Living Weapon. It will be told in a series of eddas, sagas, interludes, fragments, texts, and cantos, all of which serve their individual purposes. To follow it as it appears,please subscribe to the series.





	The Arc of Ascension, Edda 11: D.va, the Stainless, the Steel-Eyed

> _A long time ago - or not long ago at all, depending upon how one counts time - the Lord of the East and the Great Metal Dragon of the West fought a bloody battle to gain control over all of the sea._

> _The Lord of the East was losing the war, slowly, to the Dragon's many incursions upon the East, incursions which took a tremendous toll upon all the people of the land. In a desperate attempt to turn the tide, the Lord of the East ordered his daughter, Hana, to gain the aid of the Huntress, a fearful giant born of the Great Mother of Oasis._

> _The Huntress said that if Hana went with her to the Palace of Oasis, she would become able to control all the treasures of the sea, and with their help, defeat the Great Metal Dragon of the West. However, Hana had great fear, and, at first, refused to come. The Huntress then said that if Hana came, she would have the highest position in the government. Again, Hana refused, for power for its own sake was not important to her. Finally, the Huntress promised that if Hana came, she would be able to save not just her kingdom, but surpass even herself, which mattered most of all._

> _Hana returned home to her writing box, to think, and then, to write. When she was done, she put her writings away, safe with her most trusted friends, and went back to the Huntress, to fight for herself, and her Lord, and her kingdom - and to become the first of the Gunungshin, the new deities of war._

"Lieutenant Song, reporting as ordered, sir." She saluted, and stood at attention in her superior's small forward-base office.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. At ease," her Major replied, and her posture shifted to parade rest. "This is Captain Yun."

"Captain," she saluted, again, and the Captain nodded, politely. "It's good to meet you, Lieutenant. We're going to be working together, it seems."

"Ma'am?" Hana said, curiously.

"I will go directly to the point. We have been offered direly needed help, in our continuing fight against the Giant Omnics. They have specifically requested _you_ as liaison officer."

"Me, ma'am?" she asked, a little afraid of what this might mean.

"Yes, Lieutenant - you. Specifically. It is a condition of their aid."

The MEKA pilot suppressed the spike of fear running down her spine. "May I ask the Captain from whom this aid is coming?" she asked, in most formal language.

"Oasis," she said, stony-faced.

"Is the Captain aware of my..."

"The Captain is aware, as am I, and it has been given due consideration," her Major said, interrupting.

"Sir, this is..."

"This is an order, Lieutenant," said the Captain. "We are aware of certain risks - though there has been very little in the way of corroborating information thus far, we have taken your report seriously, and continue to do so."

"Ma'am."

"We _will_ protect you. But we need their aid."

"Did they say who they would be sending, ma'am?"

"That's the interesting part," the Captain said, nodding. "She's in that video you handed us."

"Oxton?" she said, almost hoping, given the most likely alternative.

"No," the Captain replied. "Amari."

Lieutenant Song turned to her Major and stood again at attention. "Sir, I hereby resign my commission."

He nodded. "Refused."

"I will resubmit it in writing."

"It will, again, be refused." He frowned. "This is a matter of national security, Lieutenant. You will cooperate with Captain Yun in every way possible. You will obey her orders without hesitation or subterfuge, and you will do everything in your power to make this agreement work. Am I clear?"

The young lieutenant stood rigid. "Sir. Yes sir."

"Then you are remanded into the Captain's care, to be debriefed immediately. The Brigadier will arrive late tomorrow. You'll meet the day after. I expect you to be ready."

"Yes, sir."

"Dismissed."

\-----

Hana trembled, alone, on her berth, in her quarters. Two days of debriefing hadn't made the upcoming encounter any less bizarre in her mind. _We'd hoped to get through to some of them, not have them coming after us again_ , she thought. _At least I had time to get news out. Nepal knows._

She watched the video again, reminding herself of what they knew to be true. _Run_ , she thought, as the Fareeha she'd known gave her last order. _Run._ She shook her head, trying to clear it. _She'll be the only one there_ , she thought. _...or so they've told us_ , she added to herself, a second later.

Brigitte's prefix code triggered her ringtone - the ‘Nyan Cat’ song Reinhardt had shown them one night after a mission - and Hana managed half a worried smile as she picked up her padd and hit the camera. "Hey, girl. Checking in?"

"Yeah," Brigitte replied, also worried. "Wish I was there."

"Wish you could be here."

"Actually, no. I wish you could be somewhere else. Here would be good."

"I submitted my resignation. It was refused."

"Refuse their refusal. Come to us. If your army will not protect you, we will."

"With no mech? How much good am I without a mech?"

"You're very good. Particularly to me. You're already good in a fight without the MEKA, I could make you better."

Hana shook her head, slowly, no. "...I took an oath. I meant it."

Brigitte smiled, sadly, and nodded. "If they make you go to Oasis, tell me. You won't have to break your oath. We will break it _for_ you."

The pilot found a laugh inside her, and smiled for real. "Then don't tell me that, n00b."

"I never said a word. Heard from Lúcio yet?"

"Yeah. Earlier. Not much he can do either, but he's..." She caught herself spiralling up, and tried to breathe. "After what happened in Finland, with Satya... he's... he tried to be reassuring. Maybe he's right. Maybe it'll be different. But at least he knows what’s going on."

She looked up, when she heard a knock on the door. _Curfew time already?_ She looked at the clock - no, 20:30, nowhere close.

"Who is it?" she asked, in Korean. "No, Seojun, I won't help you with your..."

"It's me," Fareeha said, quietly, her voice still so familiar, from the other side, and Hana grabbed her pistol. "Hana - can we talk?"

"No," the MEKA pilot said, pistol in hand, aiming through the door. "What do you want?"

"I just want to talk. We haven't seen each other in over a year...."

"I haven't seen _this_ you at _all!_ "

"I was hoping to talk to _you_ , not just go over official business - if you’d be willing."

"You forced this meeting," she said, to the woman - whoever she was - on the opposite side of the door. "And I might have to be at it, but I sure won't meet you alone."

"I know what you think happened," the voice said. "I've seen the video, too. And you're not entirely wrong. But you're not right, either." There was a brief pause. "I'm going over to the commissary. I'm going to order barley tea, sit at a table, and wait. It is public, and busy, and I will be there until midnight. If I see you - and I would like to see you - then... I will. And hopefully we can talk. If I don’t, then I’ll see you tomorrow at the briefing."

"It'll be tomorrow," Song said, pistol unwavering. "Get out."

"I’ll wait for you anyway. Good night, Hana."

"What the hell was that?!" Brigitte said, over the link. "She's was just _there?!_ "

"This area's supposed to be restricted. She must've got a pass from someone," Hana said, shakily, picking the padd back up. "I gotta call my CO. This isn't okay."

"Yeah," Brigitte agreed. "I'll stay connected, but mute myself. You call."

"I have to mute this end, too. But - thanks."

\-----

_It feels like I’m about to step into a demilitarised zone_ , Fareeha thought, waiting, in her Oasis Security Forces uniform, at the door to the conference room.

She'd waited until midnight, and then outside the commissary for another fifteen minutes before giving up and going back to her assigned visitor's quarters.

 _I can’t blame her. What she must think... I knew she would be wary. I didn’t know she would be so deeply afraid._ She closed her eyes, for a moment, deep in thought. _What can I say? What **could** I say?_

She turned, for a moment, looking to the window, outside, seeing her reflection in the glass, her sunglasses, which hid her contacts, which hid her eyes. _The first thing I can do... is not lie._ She removed her eyeglasses, and plucked first one, then the other of her contacts out, rolled them into a ball, and threw them into a nearby rubbish bin. _Terrible things anyway. No wonder Angela hates them._

Folding up and putting away the glasses, she looked into her reflected opal eyes, and nodded, approving. _There. That's a start._

As she heard a hand touch the doorknob, she turned, and smiled, pleasantly, at the aide who opened it. "Are we ready to begin?" she asked, in perfect Korean.

"Yes," the aide replied, jumping a little, surprised. "My apologies - your Korean is very good!"

"It isn't, really - but thank you. You're very kind."

\-----

"Captain?" the aide leaned into the small conference room where the three women had been meeting for the previous hour. "Urgent call. Your ears only, I'm afraid."

Yun frowned. "Now is _not_ the time, we are..."

"It's the secretary, ma'am."

She hissed in a small amount of air, and nodded, briefly. "I'll be right there. Lieutenant, carry on."

"Captain, I insist..."

"That's an order, Lieutenant."

"I assure you," the Oasis Brigadier said, "it is fine. We will await your return here."

The Captain gave her a slower, longer nod. "Thank you for your patience, Brigadier."

"Ma'am," she said, smiling, faintly.

The door closed behind her. Lieutenant Song stared as fiercely as she could manage at the woman across the table. "This is the most heavily fortified base in the Republic of Korea. If you think you can kidnap me out of here..."

"Hana - we don't want to kidnap you."

"Then _why did you set this up?_ You've been grabbing people for a year now, turning them into..." She waved her hands, pointing. "Whatever _you_ are, now."

"Really? Who?" Fareeha asked, gently. "Since me, I mean. I was... wronged, though for reasons I understand, and have accepted, and have forgiven."

"Satya."

"Freely accepted an offer. I understand she's already told Lúcio as much. He did not believe her?"

Hana nodded warily, just a little. The pieces fit. "We've considered it. We weren't sure, given the stuff you guys can do with people’s heads. Sombra."

Fareeha laughed. "You knew of her?"

Hana looked to one side, frowning. "She... used to follow my stream. Then she didn't. I don't think she thought I knew, but I did."

"She still does, but more discreetly. She'd hoped you'd realised it was her - I'll make sure to let her know. But she upgraded herself on her own, mostly, and came in on her own terms. Satya helped. So did Michael, interestingly enough."

"Mi... what? I was gonna say him next."

" _Also_ freely an accepted an offer, one made after Sombra joined us."

" _Why?_ "

" _Because it was the right thing to do_ ," Fareeha replied. "We don't need to kidnap anyone, Hana. We could. I could open a teleportation gate to Oasis right here, right now, and you'd be gone before anyone knew. But we don't. We make offers. Like we're going to make to you."

Hana slumped in her chair. "You _do_ want me."

"I'd thought about dancing around it," the once-HSI rocketeer said, quietly. "Just like I almost came in here wearing brown contact lenses, hiding my real eyes. But I did not think that would be the right thing to do, in the end. Yes. We want you. But Korea - Korea _needs_ you, or, who you could become."

"No no no no no no no no no no," Song said, not liking the sound of that at all. "You're not going to..."

"You'd still be you. More you, if anything - as we all have become _more_ ourselves, in all this. Hana, we have a plan - a plan that would shut down the China Sea omnium. No more Giant Omnics, Hana. No more constant threat of war. No more dead, every time it spit out a new model."

Hana froze in her seat as the implications of the plan sank in. "Why me? Why me, in particular?"

"Because we know you. And we know who you could become. Anyone else would be an experiment, one most likely to fail. We would do our best, but..." She shrugged. "You are already extraordinary, and that is the minimum requirement."

The Lieutenant glanced at the closed door. "It wasn't the secretary on the phone, was it?"

Fareeha smiled, widely, opal eyes sparkling. "And _that_ is _exactly_ what we mean." She leaned forward, and offered her hand. "We want you, Hana. But Korea _needs_ you. It'll be your decision, but... you know how it happened, with me, and I... if I had it again, I would not have fought. I'd've run to them, instead. As quickly as I could. You should, too. This is no longer Talon - we are going to make the world _better_ , Hana, not worse. We already have been."

Hana did not take her hand, but Fareeha could tell - she almost thought about it. So the Huntress nodded a little, smiled, and leaned back, as the door opened, and the Captain stepped back into the room.

"A false alarm," she said, sitting back in her chair. "My apologies."

"None needed," the Brigadier said, politely. "One can never be too careful."

"I'm glad you understand. Now, you were saying, about a plan to move against the omnium?"

\-----

The Captain, the Major, and the Lieutenant sat in the Major's office the next day, the Brigadier preparing to depart back to Oasis in the morning.

"I think it could work," the Major said. "Their hardlight technologies are extraordinary. With the right people, at least... I think it could work."

"We have literally no one capable of the MEKA work the plan requires," the Captain said. "No one could do it. Not even you, Lieutenant."

"I take it you don't believe they could train her to manage it, then, Yun?"

"I don't think anybody could, Major. Personally, I think it's impossible." She glanced back to the former pro gamer. "Nothing personal."

Hana Song stared at her hands, and thought about her career in gaming, and her absolutely unique talents with MEKA deflection shields, and knew, as she always had, that she was absolutely the best in the world. Maybe not in every respect, but in all the ones that mattered.

She thought about how she'd saved her squadron, too many times to count. How she'd saved hundreds, thousands, even more lives, stopping Giant Omnics no one else could without resorting to weapons as devastating to her country as to the enemy.

She thought about the data Brigadier Amari had sent her, backchanneled via Sombra. What she'd become. What she'd be able to do.

She could save Korea. She could do it. She was sure. All she'd have to do is sacrifice herself.

“I need to speak with the Brigadier, before she leaves. Alone.”

\-----

“I’ve got conditions.”

Fareeha grinned as Hana got straight to the point. “I thought you might.”

“First one: I’m a MEKA officer first. I take my orders from the Korean army, not Oasis, and if they abort the mission or order me home, that takes priority.”

“That’s reasonable. I think we can work with that.”

Hana nodded, pacing back and forth. “Second: I’m going to keep streaming. No attempts to censor or delay my broadcasts. I want people to be able to see me, and to know if something is off. I can record everything I do, if I want. _Everything._ Got it?”

“We’re not trying to force you to stop doing anything,” Fareeha pointed out, keeping her voice mild. “As I said - this is an offer, not a threat. You can do whatever you choose to do.”

Hana gave her a skeptical little glance. Fareeha didn’t blame her, really, but she hoped that the younger woman could see she was being sincere. “Last one. You said you can open a teleporter here?”

Fareeha nodded. “Yes - I have a portable unit in my jacket. I deploy it, and the receiver unit at Oasis opens up.”

“It’s two-way - you can walk through and come back?”

Fareeha nodded.

“Open it. Go back to Oasis and send Sombra and Dr. Ngcobo through. I want to talk to both of them - alone.”

“It may take a few minutes to find them. Would you rather come with me?”

Hana leaned against the wall, then reached out to lock the door to the conference room. “I’ll wait here, thanks.”

Fareeha grinned as she stood and drew a small white box from her jacket pocket, setting it on the floor before she toed the activator stud, the portal flaring into glowing blue and white life a moment later. “I’ll send them through as soon as I can - just stay clear of the portal aperture.”

To Hana’s surprise, the portal burst into life within a few short minutes of the Brigadier’s departure, and Sombra stepped through with a flourish. 

“ _Hola, conejita_.”

Hana took a moment to take her in. The eyes caught her attention first, but the purple hoodie and beat up jeans Sombra was wearing were almost insultingly _normal._ “So you joined up.”

“Yes and no.” Sombra pulled out one of the chairs and flopped into it, putting one sneaker up on the conference room’s table. “I decided it was worth the risk - and that I’d be more effective on the inside than out. But I did the hard parts myself, basically.” 

“With a little help from Satya and Michael.”

“Yeah, a bit.” Sombra looked up at the clock on the wall. “Speaking of - he’s gonna be a little while. Pretty sure he was out on a lunch date with his boyfriend.”

“Fine.” Hana sat down across from Sombra, keeping the portal where she could cover it with her pistol if anyone else tried to come through. “I’ll start with you, then. Michael can fill in what you can’t.”

“Smart.” Sombra straightened up slightly in her chair. “Lemme guess: You want to know how I did it.”

“You don’t seem like you’d let someone turn you into a puppet,” Hana agreed. “You’re too intelligent for that.” 

“I’m still me,” Sombra agreed. “Maybe a little more, even.” _Maybe a lot more,_ she admitted to herself.

“If I take the ‘offer’... I want the same thing. I want to know how you pulled that off.” 

Sombra grimaced. “I was afraid you’d say something like that.” 

Hana leaned in. “Why?”

“Because one: it _totally_ sucked,” Sombra answered. “You have no idea. And _two_ , you’d need to start with getting a half million dollars in cybernetic brain and spinal implants to do it the way I did - and that’s not really going to happen.”

Hana straightened up, ready to announce she wasn’t going to do it, when Sombra raised a hand to stop her from speaking.

“Now, that said... you don’t _have_ to do it the way I did. Because if you’re worried about O’Deorain... she’s not really a threat. Not the way you’re thinking, anyway.” 

Hana eyed her skeptically. “Not the way I’m thinking?”

“You're afraid she’s gonna mess with your brain. Your memories. Like Lena. Like Angela, and Fareeha.”

"The... we've been calling it a coup d'etat... that was real? And changed things?"

"A _coup d'..._ " Sombra giggled. "That's hilarious! But whatever you call it - I stopped all that. Well, sort of. Michael helped. So did Ziegler.” She dropped her foot back to the floor and straightened up. “They know what she did to them. But would you believe they decided to make it work anyway?”

Hana blinked as she tried to process that. “So Fareeha was serious about... making things better?” 

Sombra nodded with a little sigh. “Yeah. Though sometimes what _they_ think is better and what most people think is better aren’t the same thing. Which is usually when I try to step in.”

Hana pushed her tongue against the side of her cheek as she thought about that. “So when Fareeha said I would still be _me_ …”

“She’s telling the truth,” Sombra confirmed. “And I’d make sure of it, too. But that doesn’t mean you’re gonna be the same.” 

Hana frowned as she looked into Sombra’s strange new eyes. “I don’t think I understand.” 

“You read the files I sent, right?” Sombra waited for Hana to nod before she continued on. “You’re going to be faster. You’re gonna see things differently - literally. Your reflexes... right now, even without her accelerator, Lena’s the fastest one of us. Emily can _maybe_ come close, on a good day. But for what they want to do... you’d be on the same level, once you got used to it.”

"Doesn't seem like _that_ much..."

"It's not just that. You'll think... faster, too. Differently. You'll be willing to do more, because you'll know you can. You'll still be you, but you'll _know_ what you are, and it _matters_." Sombra paused a moment, to make sure Hana was following her. “Do you get what I'm saying? You’re not going to be _human_ , after this. I still dunno if I really buy the ‘god’ stuff, exactly... but you need to understand that you are going to change - and there’s no going back.”

The MEKA pilot nodded, slowly, realising she'd be the greatest gamer the world had ever seen - and would never have any competition for the title again. The thought saddened her, but not enough. “Would you go back?" she asked. "Would you want to, if you could?”

Sombra went quiet for a long moment, then shook her head. “No.”

\-----

`From: D.Va <HSONG@meka.mil.kr>`  
`To: FrogBoi <DJRibbitHead@ubol.co.br>, HammerBabe <BLindholm@jarngille.se>`  
`Subject: Don’t Be Mad`  
`23-MAY-78 04:00:00 UTC+9`

`Guys,`

`By the time you get this, I’m going to be in Oasis.`

`I’m not going to bullshit you - I’m as scared about this as you are. Maybe more. But the chance to stop the Sea Monsters, to shut down the omnium for good and protect my country... I can’t let it go. I’ve looked at the projections Fareeha brought with her, and we’ve run our own based on data we’ve collected from MEKA’s battles with the giant omnics over and over. If anyone else were to take point on this plan, even if they went through the ‘upgrade’ that’s been promised, the odds of success are under 30%.`

`With me in the lead, and the improvements to my mech they’ve suggested, odds of success are above 65%.`

`If I let them ‘rework’ me, too, the odds go up to 98%.`

`My country - my _home_ - has lost so much. To be offered a chance to make it _stop_ - I can’t turn my back on it. And we only get one shot - the omnium learns, and won't fall for this twice. It has to count.`

`I’ve talked to Sombra and Dr. N. They’ve given me their versions of what went down last February, and have given me as much data as they could on what will be done to me - I’m attaching all that to this message. Make sure Athena gets a copy. They’ve promised that I’m still going to be _me_ when they’re done, but I’m taking it with a grain of salt.`

`Fareeha accepted my terms that I’m a MEKA pilot and a Korean army officer first, assisting Oasis second, and they’ve told me that after I wake up from ‘the process’, I will be able to start streaming and broadcasting as soon as I like.`

`Watch my streams. Group with me if you can. Make sure I’m still me, and if I’m not... make sure that you stay safe.`

`I don’t know if the data in these files will be enough to stop me, but if it comes to it - I trust both of you to keep me from hurting anyone else we care about.`

`I love you both.`

`I should have said that a lot more than I did.`

`I love you, I love you, I love you.`

`Please don’t be mad. Just look after each other... and I hope you’ll be there for me when I come back.`

`If I come back.`

`-Hana`

`<<Attached File: HSONGPOLIRPT>>`  
`<<Attached File: HSONGRFLXMOD>>`  
`<<Attached File: HSONGVISACCMOD>>`  
`<<Attached File: HSONGMEKAMOD>>`  
`<<Attached File: HSONGNRVSMOD>>`  
`<<Attached File: HSONGBIODATA>>`

\-----

Hana had borrowed a cart that was normally used to run pallets of missiles or ammo around the base from the armory section and loaded it with her gaming rigs, foot locker, and a couple of suitcases before making her way to where Fareeha would be activating the teleporter that would carry her to Oasis. Her mech would be following by air cargo a few days later.

She was trying to keep herself positive, but her mind kept wandering back to the email she’d written. 

_Am I doing the right thing? I know it seems like the only way to stop the omnium, but am I really prepared for this?_

This was for her country. Her family. The friends she’d grown up with, and all the friends from MEKA she’d made and lost. 

She had to believe that it would be worth it. 

But the risk was so great, and cost so, so high.

Fareeha was waiting for her in the conference room, the teleporter already active. “Got everything you need?”

Hana nodded, trying to swallow her fear before she spoke. “The only things left in my quarters belong to the army, not to me. I’ve got the rest right here.”

Fareeha nodded and gestured to the portal. “Right this way, then.”

The sensation of being teleported felt a bit like falling through the world, yet her next step landed on a solid floor, the cart’s wheels clacking as it rolled off the teleporter base station behind her. 

Hana had barely taken two steps away from the platform before a high pitched squeal of delight made her spin, and her hands came up reflexively as a blur of motion charged towards her.

_”HANA!”_

Lena slammed into her like a freight train, knocking the wind out of her for a moment as Hana staggered under the force of her leaping hug.

“Oh my _gods_ it’s so good to see you, luv! I’ve been missin’ you something awful and I hoped Ree was going to get you to come in but I was worried that you’d say no and I had no idea how we were going to pull this off without you but you’re _here_ so that’s brilliant and it’s so _good_ to _see_ you!”

“Uh.” Hana stared down at Lena as she launched her verbal onslaught, and finally had to put her hands on Lena’s shoulders to force her back a bit. “Breathe? Please?”

Lena teleported herself back to the other side of the cart with a bubbling giggle, shaking her head. “Right, breathing! Air! Air’s good, I like air.” She took a deep breath, then blew the lungful out again. “Sorry, I’ve just been so nervous, and you’re here, and I’m so excited!”

“Yeah,” Hana said with a shake of her head. “Got that.” She gave Lena a look, shivering a bit at the intensity in her metallic eyes. “No offense, but I didn’t exactly expect that after the last time I saw you, back at the Wembley.”

“Ohhhh.” Lena pursed her lips, then sighed. “Yeah. I was...” She shook her head. “I was a mess. Falling apart, really. Half-formed, stressed out, barely knew who I _was_ , and stuck without my girls t'help sort me out, 'cause of the... ambush you'd set up. Might've been different, if they'd been there with me, but... well. Water under the bridge. All's forgiven." She bounced a little, in place, emotions conflicting. But she knew one thing. "I'm _so happy you're here!_ "

"Really?"

"Really." She braced herself, looked down to the floor, then looked back up, and met Hana’s eyes again with a proper Tracer grin. “Tho' t'be honest, I’m just a lot happier in general, now mum's helped sort me out.”

“...mum?” Hana asked, overwhelmed.

Lena nodded again, gesturing in the general direction of the door that Hana assumed lead outside. “Yeah, y’know, me mum. Moira. Well - she _wasn’t_ , then, not really, I guess? But she is _now._ And that's what matters.”

Hana tried to follow that, and shivered at the implications. “So she’s your... wow. _Really_ , Lena?”

Lena walked over at a more sedate pace, her face going unexpectedly solemn as she reached out to rest her hand against Hana’s cheek. “Yeah, really. I know it may not make a lot of sense right now, but... you’ll see. I promise.”

 _God,_ Hana thought as she tried not to shudder, confused by the gesture, flinching from it. _I really hope I don’t._

Fareeha cleared her throat from behind them, making both women turn to face her. “Lena - it’s four in the morning in Korea. Hana would probably appreciate being shown to her room, and a chance to lie down.”

Lena gave a soft little ‘oh’, and then turned back with a nod. “Right, sorry. Wasn’t thinking - funny, innit? Time’s what I _do_ and I forget all about the time zones!” She laughed at herself, not worrying if Hana responded, and blinked over to the door, pushing it open and holding it so Hana could follow with the cart. “Right this way. Honestly - you’re going to love it here!”

Hana managed not to say something that might get her on Lena’s shit list again - or make a gagging noise - but every step she took as she followed through the hallways felt heavier and heavier.

_What have I done?_

\-----

Hana didn’t remember unpacking. In fact, she didn’t remember much at all after Lena showed her to her temporary room. She'd thought she’d laid down on the bed, intending to just close her eyes for a minute before getting undressed and trying to get comfortable, but instead she’d fallen into a deep sleep.

“Hey, hey, there y'are! Ange - she’s waking up!”

Hana groaned softly at the sound of Lena’s voice. _Can’t I get five minutes to myself?_

"Here, I've got water, it'll help."

She felt a straw at her mouth and took a sip, shocked at how perfect, how wonderful it tasted. She felt rested. Surprisingly rested. In fact, she didn’t think she’d ever felt so good - it was like she’d been plugged into a charging station and left overnight, the energy rising through her body as she became more fully aware, fully awake.

She took a deep breath before looking around, and Hana felt like someone had wiped film off of her eyes. Everything seemed so much _sharper_ , so bright, but not blinding, and far more detailed.

She found herself in a hospital bed, in what seemed like a pleasant, well-lit recovery suite. There was a monitor in the corner showing her vitals, and a vase with what she realized were folded paper flowers.

_I guess I can’t have real ones in a recovery room, right? But what..._

Lena smiled gently from her seat at the side of the bed, her eyes somehow less frighteningly intense now, so much warmer, and it all came crashing down onto her, all at the same time. _They... they did it. I didn’t even get to talk to Angela, or, or, or, or anyone. They just... pulled me out of bed once I fell asleep and started **changing** me._

As if summoned by that thought, Angela appeared, floating through the door on her golden wings. “Ah! Good morning, Hana. How do you feel?”

“Good,” Hana admitted, afraid, but sure. “I _do_ feel good. Almost like I slept for a week.”

Lena chuckled, just a little, at the side of the bed. “More like a month, really. Oh, gods, I've missed you, luv, I'm so glad you're back.”

“A _month?!_ ” Hana stared, stunned. “Seriously?”

Lena nodded, suddenly sober, expression firm. “Trust me. I've seen the slow route - it was better this way.” Her smile returned as she reached for something on the bedside table. “Look, though, luv - you’re gorgeous! Like that's new, but still.”

Hana snorted as she reached for what she realized was a handheld mirror. “Careful. I don’t want to deal with a jealous Widowmaker - or the other one.” 

“Just appreciatin’ a work of art,” Lena breezed. “That’s all.” 

_She seems so **normal** again_ , Hana thought, _like nothing ever happened. So why does that feel wrong?_ Then she held the mirror up, and as she looked at herself, she knew _exactly_ why it felt so wrong.

It was still her face, her hair perhaps a bit longer, but the eyes looking back at her now were no longer brown, but a dark, shimmering color like blued steel. Beautiful. And, for just a moment, terrifying.

 _Sombra was right_ , Hana thought as tears began to fill her eyes. _There’s no going back, now._

“Hey, hey, hey…” Lena took the mirror from her hands, and a moment later Hana felt a warm, soothing hand on her cheek, another taking one of her hands, bringing a sense of relief so palpable that it was almost as shocking as her new eyes had been. “It’s okay, luv, I promise. They’re different, I know, but it’s still _you_. They’re a part of you, and that's what makes them beautiful.”

Hana sniffled, blinking as she tried to clear her eyes, nuzzling reflexively into Lena's hand. “It’s... okay?” Somehow, it didn’t seem like it should be, but when she repeated Lena’s words, it _did_ seem better. 

“Course it is,” Lena assured her, bringing Hana's other hand to her face, nuzzling at it, in turn. “Right, Ange?” 

Angela nodded, hovering over from where she’d been observing and collecting data. “You’re going to be _just fine_ , Hana. Everything has gone perfectly." She took Hana's other hand in her own, and smiled, kindness in her bronze eyes. "Of course it’s okay.”

 _It’s okay_ , Hana thought as she sat up a bit straighter in bed with the help of the other two women, and the more she settled into herself, the more it was. 

_But if it’s okay... why do I feel so sad?_

**Author's Note:**

> This is the thirteenth instalment of _Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Ascension_. To follow this story, [subscribe to the series via this link](https://archiveofourown.org/series/972024), rather than to the individual works.


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